Puzzle



Patnted Jan. 24,1899.

No. 6l8,326.

H. A. BOWERS.

PUZZLE.

Application filed Jan. 28. 1898.\. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l Attor n ey,

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No. 6|8,326. Patented 1.1 24, I899. H. A. BOWERS.

PUZZLE.

"Application filed Jan. 28. 1898.) (No Model.) ZSheets-Sheet 2..

Witnesses. Inventor.

zdfdmw ing the puzzle in one position.

llnrrnn STATES PATENT T Prion.

IIIESTER A. BOIVERS, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,326, dated January 24, 1899.

' Application filed January 28, 1398. Serial No. 668,361. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HIESTER A. BowERs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Puzzles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l of the drawings is aplan view show- Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the parts in a second position. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the relatively-fixed part of the puzzle. Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrams illustrating the principle of the puzzle. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View showing the connection between the two pieces.

This invention has relation to puzzles in the nature of transformation pictures or puzzles, wherein portions of the pictures or other subj ects of the puzzle are mounted or placed upon a relatively-fixed piece and complementary or matching portions thereof are mounted.

upon a movable piece, the two pieces being arranged in such a manner that by changing the relative positions of the two pieces the picture or subject is changed in an apparently inexplicable manner, the object being to-provide a device or toy capable of affording amusement and bewilderment.

With this object in view the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, all as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates a piece of cardboard or other suitable material, a portion of which is subdivided intotrapezoidal spaces and parts of spaces by radial lines 1, which if extended would find their origin at the center 2, and by parallel lines 3, which are segments of V0- lute spirals. The inner line at of the subdivided space is a semicircle drawn from the center 2.

B designates a circular disk or piece of cardboard which is pivotally mounted on the piece A to rotate on its center 2 and which is subdivided by radial lines 5. A portion of the said piece B, extending around one-half of its circumference, is also subdivided by parallel lines 6, which are also segments of v0- lute spirals, and these lines 6, intersecting the radial lines 5, form upon the piece B a series of trapezoidal spaces and parts of spaces corresponding to those upon the piece A, and the space so subdivided upon the piece B is of corresponding but reversed form to the space subdivided upon the piece A. When the two pieces are brought to the relative positions shown in Fig. 1, the radial lines 2 and 5 coincide, as do also the portions of the lines 3 and 6, and the entire subdivided space so formed is a segment of a volute scroll; In the particular arrangement illustrated this space is subdivided into thirty small spaces, and in each of these spaces is a suitable figure or representation, the figures'or representations in those spaces which are formed partly by one piece and partly by the other being also similarly divided; The movable piece B is also provided with a second subdivided space, which is substantially a duplicate in area and arrangement of that portion of the first subdivided space which is found to the left of the radial line 5 except that it is of opposite or reversed position, so that when the piece B is turned to the position shown in Fig. 2 its segmental subdividing spiral lines 7 coincide with the lines 3 on the part A. The figures and parts of figures on this second subdivision correspond substantially with the figures and parts of figures on that portion of the first subdivision to the left of the radial line 5 so that when the pieces are in the relative positions shown in the draw ings the parts of figures will match with and complete the parts of figures on the adjacent portion of the piece A in the same manner as did the parts of figures to the left of the line 5 when the parts were in the positions shown in Fig. 1. If the number of subdivisions to the right of the line 5* be counted, it will be found that there are thirty-two of these spaces and that each space contains a complete figure or representation. It will therefore be seen that in the position shown in Fig. 1 there are three long rows, each containing ten spaces and figures, while in the position shown in Fig. 2 there are two long rows, each containing ten spaces and figures, and three short rows, each containing four spaces and figures, and that the latter has been made from apparently the same area as the former, although two additional spaces and figures have appeared. This phenomenon can best be explained by reference to the diagrams shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 4shows a parallelogram divided by intersecting linesinto thirty equal spaces. Divide this parallelogram on the diagonal line a; 00 and divide each of the resulting sections on the lines 1 3 and arrange the four sections so formed to form the figure shown in Fig. 5. It will then be found that this new figure contains thirty-two subdivisions instead of thirty, as in the original form. It will be noticed, however, that some of the subdivisions along the dividing-lines of the sections are not (if the sections be fitted closely together) of full area, but that if, as shown, said sections be slightly separated such subdivisions are of substantially equal area with the others.

Comparing Fig. 4 with the subdivided area shown in Fig. 1 it will be seen that the latter is simply the parallelogram shown in Fig. 4 spread out into the segment of a scroll, the semicircular division-line thereof corresponding to the diagonal division of the parallelogram.

Comparing Figs. 2 and 5 it will be seen that they are substantially the same and that in substance what is effected by rotating the piece B from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2 is to change the form of the diagram shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 5.

It was seen above that in order that the divided squares or spaces in Fig. 5 should have approximately the same area as the other spaces it was necessary to separate the sections somewhat, and to avoid the same difiicultyin the application to the puzzle substantially the same device is employedthat is to say, the subdividing spiral lines are varied or separated somewhat from their true positions, such variation being of such slight character and so judiciously distributed asto deceive the eye,which fails to appreciate the want of exact correspondence. This illusion is rendered all the more complete by reason of the trapezoidal form of the subdivisions and the grotesque character of the figures commonly employed. The puzzle, however, is not dependent upon the figures, (which may be omitted,) which only increase its effect, since independent of the appearance and disappearance of the two figures the appearance and disappearance of the two spaces is a very difficult matter for the observer-to account for.

The appearance and disappearance of the two figures is explained by the fact that as the section B is moved relatively to the section A a gradual change is made from one figure to another, whereby the additional figures are gradually built up in the one case and are lost in the other, this being due to the arrangement of the divided portions of the figures upon volute spiral lines.

The movement of the piece B upon the piece A is guided by the slot h and pin it.

It is obvious that the arrangement illustrated and described may be modified in 'detail in many respects without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus'described my invention, what I claim as new, an d desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A puzzle comprising a scroll-shaped figured area, divided obliquely on a semicircular line, the portion thereof upon one side of the said line being upon a relatively-fixed piece, and the portion thereof upon the opposite side of said line being upon a movable piece, whose center of movement coincides with the center of the circle of which said dividing-line forms the semicircumference, said movable piece also having thereon a second area which is similar to a sector portion of the first-named area, but is of opposite position, substantially as specified.

2. The herein-described puzzle consisting of a relatively-fixed piece, a portion of whose surface, bounded upon one side by a semicircumference of a circle, is subdivided by lines radial with respect to the center of said circle and also by parallel lines which are. segments of volute spirals, and a second piece pivotally attached to the first piece at a point corresponding to the center of said circle, and having thereon a similarly-subdivided area, whose subdividing-lines are arranged to coincide with those of the fixed piece, said mov able piece also having thereon a second subdivided area which is similar to a part of the first area, but is of opposite position with respect thereto, substantially as specified.

3. The herein-described puzzle, consisting of a relatively-fixed and a movable piece, portions of whose surfaces contain a plurality of representations or subjects arranged on parallel volute spiral lines and together forming a scroll-shaped area divided obliquely on a semicircular line which also divides a portion of said representations or figures, said movable piece also having a second area containing representations or subjects and divisions therefor, and of a shape corresponding to a portion of its main figured area, but of opposite position, substantially as specified.

4. The herein-described puzzle, consisting of a relatively-fixed piece, a portion of whose surface, bounded upon one side by a semicircumference of a circle, is subdivided by lines radial with respect to the center of said circle, and also by parallel lines which are segments of volute spirals, and a second piece pivotally attached to the fixed piece at a point corresponding to the center of the said circle, and having thereon a similarly-subdivided area, complementary to that of the fixed piece, and whose subdividing-lines are arranged to coincide with the lines of the fixed piece, said movable piece also having tion of the movable piece subdivided by radial lines which form extensions of the firstnamed radial lines, and by Volute lines arranged to coincide with those of the movable piece, the subdivisions formed by said lines adjacent to the marginal edge of the movable piece being obliquely divided by said marginal edge, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HIESTER A. BOWERS.

lVitnesses:

REEVE LEWIS, PHILIP C. MASI. 

